A ground-breaking HIV prevention drug has been approved for taxpayer subsidy in Australia — marking a major milestone in the four decades long battle against HIV and AIDS. PrEP has been recommended for listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme by a panel of experts. The Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt previously promised government funding for the drug if approved by the committee. The existing use of PrEP has partly been blamed for a rise in sexually transmitted infections in Australia, such gonorrhoea and infectious syphilis.

Despite an overload of nutrition information from the internet, social media, celebrities and wellness gurus, a new survey shows most Australians strongly back the advice of a qualified nutrition professional. The Omnipoll survey of more than 1,200 adults found almost 9 in 10 Australians (85%) trust the nutrition advice of a dietitian.

A worrying number of Queensland women are continuing to smoke during pregnancy, despite years of warnings about the dangers to their baby. Figures released by the Department of Health show 12.4% of Queensland women smoked during pregnancy compared to 10.4% percent for the national average.

News on Health Professional Radio. Today is the 12th of February 2018. Read by Tabetha Moreto.

A ground-breaking HIV prevention drug has been approved for taxpayer subsidy in Australia — marking a major milestone in the four decades long battle against HIV and AIDS. PrEP has been recommended for listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme by a panel of experts.The Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt previously promised government funding for the drug if approved by the committee.The decision is expected to see the over-the-counter cost of the drug drop from up to one thousand dollars to about forty dollars. Victorian AIDS Council CEO Simon Ruth said it should be available by the middle of the year from any doctor or pharmacy.….Fifteen thousand Australians are already taking PrEP, through trials funded by state governments and health organisations.….Edwina Wright from Alfred Health is overseeing a Victorian trial of the drug which has up to one thousand people on a waiting list for subsidised access. She said that about thirty thousand Australians are eligible to take PrEP, such as gay or bisexual men and injecting drug users and it is considered to be about ninety nine percent effective in reducing HIV transmission.….A New South Wales study involving more than eight thousand participants has witnessed a massive decline in HIV infections. Professor Andrew Grulich from the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales said in just a year, there was a thirty percent drop in new infections.

The existing use of PrEP has partly been blamed for a rise in sexually transmitted infections in Australia, such gonorrhoea and infectious syphilis.

Despite an overload of nutrition information from the internet, social media, celebrities and wellness gurus, a new survey shows most Australians strongly back the advice of a qualified nutrition professional. The Omnipoll survey of more than one thousand two hundred adults found almost nine in ten Australians (eighty five percent) trust the nutrition advice of a dietitian.The first-of-its-kind survey revealed just twenty seven percent trust nutrition advice from the internet, and less than one in four have confidence in the nutrition advice of healthy eating bloggers (twenty three percent) and TV chefs (twenty two percent).

Professor Clare Collins, an Accredited Practising Dietitian said :“The current digital age means that, when we have a question on nutrition, a mosh pit of information is available at our fingertips. So, it’s not surprising that figuring out what to eat has never been more complex or confusing.” But according to this latest survey, Australians trust that expert guidance can make all the difference.

Professor Collins said: “You need to be cautious about nutrition advice found online, including from celebrities or wellness gurus who don’t have a qualification in nutrition science. Instead, check any nutrition claims with a health professional.” Hundreds of dietitians across the country will join forces to launch Australia’s first Smart Eating Week, from February twelve to eighteen, which celebrates the role Accredited Practising Dietitians play in inspiring and supporting Australians to live healthier lives.https://www.9news.com.au/health/2018/02/08/10/36/one-in-10-pregnant-queenslanders-smoke

A worrying number of Queensland women are continuing to smoke during pregnancy, despite years of warnings about the dangers to their baby. Figures released by the Department of Health show twelve point four percent of Queensland women smoked during pregnancy compared to ten point four percent for the national average. Queensland Health’s Preventative Health Branch Executive Director Kaye Pulsford said: “There is no safe level of smoking – the more cigarettes you smoke while pregnant, the more harm you do to yourself and your baby.”

Smoking rates were higher in the first twenty weeks of pregnancy, where twelve point four percent of Queensland mothers smoked compared to nine point nine per cent in the second half. The health department offers a free quit program for expecting mothers and their partners, which four hundred fifteen women completed last year.

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